By Dan Satherley
Electronic Arts, publisher of controversial war game Medal of Honor, says gamers will no longer be able to play as the Taliban.
Instead, they will control a group blandly named 'Opposing Force'.
"While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice," said executive producer Greg Goodrich.
It is not apparent at this stage whether the Taliban's appearance will be altered, or any other changes apart from the name will be made.
Several groups had complained about the game's inclusion of a multi-player mode where gamers could take on the role of the Taliban. EA was initially defiant about the feature.
"Most of us have been doing this since we were seven," said spokeswoman Amanda Taggart. "Someone plays cop, someone must be robber."
The UK, US and Australian defence forces were unhappy with the game, as were parents of soldiers who'd died in Afghanistan.
One mother, Karen Meredith, told Fox News her son didn't get to 'start over' when he was killed.
"His life was over and I have to deal with that every day ... it is not just a game," she said.
Other games that allow the player to take on the role of history's monsters have avoided the spotlight shined on Medal of Honor.
In the Civilization series for example, it is possible through popular downloadable modifications, or mods, to play as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and other despised historical figures, as well as enslave entire populations and enact nuclear holocausts on your enemies – be they the good guys, or bad.
3 News